New Guinea Impatiens plant named ‘Fisnics Orange’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiens plant named ‘Fisnics Orange’, characterized by its outwadly spreading, rounded and uniformly mounded plant habit; freely branching and freely flowering habit; large rounded bright orange-colored flowers that are positioned above and beyond the foliage; and medium green-colored leaves.

BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION/CULTIVAR DESIGNATION

Impatiens hawkeri cultivar ‘Fisnics Orange’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiens plant, botanically known as Impatiens hawkeri, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Fisnics Orange’.

The new Impatiens is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Hillscheid, Germany. The objective of the breeding program is to develop new Impatiens cultivars that flower relatively early and have large rounded flowers with attractive flower color.

The new Impatiens originiated from a cross made by the Inventor in May, 1997 of the Impatiens hawkeri cultivar ‘Xanthia’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,305, as the female, or seed parent, with the Impatiens hawkeri cultivar ‘Daniboog’, not patented, as the male, or pollen parent. The cultivar ‘Fisnics Orange’ was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environment in Moncarapacho, Portugal in March, 1998.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken in Moncarapacho, Portugal, since March, 1998, has shown that the unique features of this new Impatiens are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Fisnics Orange’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Fisnics Orange’ as a new and distinct Impatiens cultivar:

1. Outwardly spreading, rounded and uniformly mounded plant habit.

2. Freely branching and freely flowering habit.

3. Large rounded bright orange-colored flowers that are positioned above and beyond the foliage.

4. Medium green-colored leaves.

Plants of the new Impatiens are most similar to and can be compared to plants of the female parent, the cultivar ‘Xanthia’. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Hillscheid, Germany, plants of the new Impatiens differed from plants of the cultivar ‘Xanthia’ in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Impatiens are broader and have longer internodes than plants of the cultivar ‘Xanthia’.

2. Plants of the new Impatiens have broader and slightly lighter green leaves than plants of the cultivar ‘Xanthia’.

3. Stem color of plants of the new Impatiens is mostly green whereas stem color of plants of the cultivar ‘Xanthia’ is red.

4. Plants of the new Impatiens have larger and flatter flowers than plants of the cultivar ‘Xanthia’.

Plants of the new Impatiens can be compared to plants of the male parent, the cultivar ‘Daniboog’. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Hillscheid, Germany, plants of the new Impatiens differed from plants of the cultivar ‘Daniboog’ in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Impatiens are not as vigorous as plants of the cultivar ‘Daniboog’.

2. Plants of the new Impatiens have smaller leaves than plants of the cultivar ‘Daniboog’.

3. Flower color of plants of the new Impatiens is lighter than flower color of plants of the cultivar ‘Daniboog’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Impatiens.

The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Fisnics Orange’ grown in a 12-cm container about 10 to 11 weeks after planting a young rooted plant.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The cultivar ‘Fisnics Orange’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity, daylength, water status and/or fertility level, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Hillscheid, Germany, under commercial practice in a glass-covered greenhouse. Rooted young plants were planted in 12-cm containers in late February and the following observations and measurements were taken about 10 to 11 weeks later. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 18 to 24° C. and night temperatures were about 18° C. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms of ordinary significance are used.

Commerical classification: New Guinea Impatiens cultivar ‘Fisnics Orange’.

Parentage:

Female parent.—Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Xanthia, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,305.

Male parent.—Impatiens hawkeri cultivar ‘Daniboog’, not patented.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Terminal tip cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About 8 to 9 days at 24° C. Winter: About 10 days at 21° C.

Time to produce a rooted cutting.—Summer: About 15 days at 24° C. Winter: About 18 days at 21° C.

Root description.—Numerous, fibrous, and freely branching; 158D in color.

Plant description:

General appearance.—Outwardly spreading, low, rounded and uniformly mounded plant growth habit; dense and bushy; freely branching and flowering habit.

Crop time.—From a rooted cutting, about 9 weeks are required to produce finished flowering plants in 12-cm containers.

Plant height.—About 10.5 cm.

Plant diameter or spread.—About 33 cm.

Lateral branches.—Quantity per plant: About 9 to 12. Length: About 9 cm. Diameter: About 6.5 mm. Internode length: About 4.5 cm. Color: 143C with slight red, close to 47C, infusion at the nodes.

Foliage description.—Arrangement: Primarily in whorls. Length: About 11.25 cm. Width: About 4.7 cm. Shape: Elliptic. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Acute. Margin: Slightly serrulate with ciliation. Texture: Smooth, occasionally weakly rugose, glabrous. Color: Young foliage, upper surface: 143A. Young foliage, lower surface: 139C. Mature foliage, upper surface: 137B to 137C. Mature foliage, lower surface: 139C. Venation, upper surface: Towards apex, 139D; towards base, 48A to lighter than 48A. Venation, lower surface: 139D to 145C with weak infusion of pink, close to 53D. Petiole: Length: About 2.2 cm. Diameter: About 3.5 mm. Color, upper and lower surfaces: 48B to lighter than 48B.

Flower description:

Flower type and flowering habit.—Single and large rounded bright orange-colored flowers. Freely and continuously flowering; usually about 8 to 11 flowers and flower buds per lateral branch. Flowers positioned above and beyond the foliage and typically face upward or outward. Petals self-cleaning; gynoecium persistent. Flowers not fragrant.

Flower longevity.—Flowers last about 7 to 10 days on the plant.

Flowering season.—Year-round under greenhouse conditions; in the garden, flowering from spring until fall. Plants begin flowering about 8 to 9 weeks after planting.

Flower buds.—Length: About 2.4 cm. Diameter: About 1.7 cm. Shape: Ovoid. Color: 33A to 40A.

Flower length.—About 7.2 cm.

Flower width.—About 6.8 cm.

Flower depth.—About 1 cm.

Petals.—Quantity: Five per flower, imbricate. Length: Banner petal: About 3 cm. Lateral and base petals: About 3.1 cm. Width: Banner petal: About 5 cm. Lateral and base petals: About 3.9 cm. Shape: Roughly cordate. Apex: Emarginate, lobed. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Aspect: Mostly flat. Textue: Smooth; velvety. Color: When opening, upper surface: 33A to 40A. When opening, lower surface: 40C. Fully opened, upper surface: 33A to 33B; color fades to 40C with subsequent development. Fully opened, lower surface: 40C to 40D.

Spur.—Quantity: One per flower. Length: About 5.25 cm. Diameter: At apex: About 0.5 mm. At flower: About 2.5 mm. Aspect: Curved downward. Color: Towards apex, 47A; towards base, 48A.

Peduncles.—Length: About 5.5 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Strength: Strong, flexible. Color: 144B.

Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen number: Five fused at anthers, hooded; filaments free. Anther length: About 7 mm. Anther shape: Obovate. Anther color: 40B. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: 8D. Gynoecium: Pistil quantity: One per flower. Pistil length: About 5 mm. Stigma color: White. Ovary: Five-celled. Ovary color: 143A.

Seeds.—Seed development has not been observed.

Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Impatiens have not been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Impatiens. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiens plant named ‘Fisnics Orange’, as illustrated and described. 